Nikola Dimitrov

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov on Wednesday signed an accession protocol at the alliance's Brussels headquarters, bringing the Balkan nation one step closer to joining NATO.

This happened when the alliance's member states signed the accession protocol, he said.

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has taken a big step toward joining NATO after allies signed a key document that could see the tiny Balkans country become the 30th member of the world's biggest military alliance over the next year.

Foreign ministers of NATO member states and of Macedonia on Wednesday, meeting at the alliance's Brussels headquarters, signed the protocol on the country's accession, marking a major step on the path to full membership.

"Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov gave the first impetus for all the support we received for our Euro-Atlantic integration: His message was: Europe helped us, now we help our neighbours." With these words, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, addressed Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ekaterina Zaharieva, reports

Greece's parliament on Friday backed ratification of the highly controversial agreement that is designed to end the decades-long dispute over Macedonia's name.

In the vote that ended at 14.30 pm local time, 153 MPs from the ruling parties and from some opposition parties in the 300-seat parliament endorsed the agreement, which Macedonia has already adopted.

Macedonia's Foreign Ministry on Monday said it has received "assurance" from Greece that the government of Alexis Tsipras, which faces a confidence vote this week, will push through ratification of the historic "name" agreement in parliament.

Nikola Dimitrov, foreign minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, told a press conference in the capital Skopje Sunday that he has been "assured" by Greek Alternate Foreign Minister George Katrougalos that Athens remains "strongly committed" to completing its part of the name deal, the resignation of junior coalition partner Panos Kammenos notwithstanding.

On Thursday and Friday, 22 and 23 November, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting between Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was held in Thessaloniki. Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Economy and Development of the countries took part, reports European Western Balkans. 

A US State Department official offered "heartfelt and profound" support to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Thursday ahead of a key referendum on changing its name that could clear the way for the former Yugoslav republic's NATO accession.